Official Miss America Press Release: Preliminary Night One

For Immediate Release

MISS SOUTH CAROLINA ERIKA GRACE POWELL AND MISS UTAH JULIA MARIE BACHISON, WIN PRELIMINARY AWARDS IN 2006 MISS AMERICA COMPETITION

Las Vegas, NV - January 17, 2006 -

Miss South Carolina Erika Grace Powell [on the right singing and right in above photo] was named Tuesday night's preliminary Talent winner for her performance of "Time to Say Goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli during the first night of competition in the 2006 Miss America Pageant at The Aladdin Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.




Also in the spotlight was Miss Utah Julia Marie Bachison [left in Swimsuit and left in above photo], who was the preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit winner in a two-piece gray and white Speedo swimsuit with green piping.




The Miss America 2006 final night of competition will be broadcast nationally, live from Las Vegas, on CMT on Saturday night, Jan. 21 from 8-10 p.m. EST, marking the program's 51st anniversary on television.


As the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women and one of the nation's leading achievement programs, The Miss America Organization last year made available more than $45 million in cash and tuition scholarship assistance. [With their awards, Powell poses on the left, with Bachison on the right.]



The Miss America Organization provides young women with a vehicle to further their personal and professional goals and instills a spirit of community service through a variety of unique nationwide community-based programs.

Additional information about the Miss America Organization can be found at

http://www.MissAmerica.org. Media representatives who wish to cover the 2006 Miss America Competition can download a Press Credential package online at http://www.MissAmerica.org/news/presscred.asp.

Deadline for submissions is Thursday, January 19 at 9:00a.m. EST. For up-to-the-minute competition news and information as well as downloadable high-resolution images of Miss America 2005 Deidre Downs and the 2006 Contestants visit the 24-hour access online pressroom at http://www.MissAmericaPressRoom.com.

To download photos of tonight's preliminary winners, go to http://homepage.mac.com/bvbfoto

Contacts:
Jenni Glenn
Miss America Organization
(609) 345-7571 x17
jenni@missamerica.org

Brooke Primero
BNC
(310) 854-4800
bprimero@bncpr.com
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